Columbia
BUCKNELL (Game 1)
Behind Strong Pitching Performances, Lions Sweep Bucknell in Baseball's Home Opener
3/27/2010 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
NEW YORK -- Columbia's Dan Bracey struck out ten in a dominating seven-inning, complete-game performance in the Lions' home opener, lifting Columbia to a 5-1 win over Bucknell at Robertson Field. In the nightcap, Dario Pizzano broke a 3-3 deadlock with a solo home run in the eighth and Columbia completed the sweep with a 5-3 win.
Game One
On a cold, but sunny day in New York City, Dan Bracey had a dynamite performance on the hill. Flashing a nasty breaking ball along with pinpoint control on his fastball, Bracey struck out 10, allowing just one run on five hits. He did not walk a batter.
Both Bracey and Bucknell starter Trey Frahler held the opposing lineups at bay to start, but in different ways. Bracey retired the first nine batters he faced over the first three innings.
Meanwhile, Frahler worked around a pair of walks to start the Columbia half of the first, and then wiggled out of a first and second, one-out situation in the third to keep the game scoreless.
Each team threatened in the fourth. Bucknell's Ben Allen got his team's first hit of the game, a line single into right center to start the fourth. Allen stole second with one out and then advanced to third on a long flyout. Bracey got Bucknell cleanup batter Andrew Brouse looking at a called third strike to end the frame, keeping the game scoreless.
Columbia struck four times in the fourth to jump out to a 4-0 advantage. Nick Ferraresi led off with a single to center and Dario Pizzano drew a wallk on a 3-2 pitch.
Alex Ferrera then grounded one just inside the third base bag to bring home Ferraresi as both runners ended up at second and third. Dean Forthun walked to load the bases but Frahler got the first out when Billy Rumpke flied out to shallow center.
A bases-loaded walk to Nick Crucet forced home Columbia's second run and Jon Eisen came through with a sharp single in front of the left fielder to score two more, giving the Lions a four-run lead after four.
Bracey's only difficult inning came in the fifth. After Columbia went ahead 4-0, Bucknell's Drew Constable led off and drove one the other way over the right field wall to put the Bison on the board. Bucknell eventually put runners in scoring position with two outs but Bracey was able to strike out Ben Allen on a changeup to get out of the jam.
The Lions were able to scrape together a two-out rally in the fifth to regain its four-run advantage. Ferrera singled and promptly stole second with Forthun at the plate. Forthun picked up the RBI by lining a single under Frahler's glove into center field to plate Ferrera, making it a 5-1 game.
Bracey worked around a leadoff single in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh to notch his first win of the season, starting Columbia's home schedule on a good note.
Game Two
After each team clubbed two-run home runs in each half of the first inning, it appeared that the nightcap might not resemble the pitchers duel that occurred in the opener. However, both starters settled in after the first and it was a tight ballgame that came down to big plays in the late innings.
With two outs in the first, Bucknell's Andrew Brouse crushed a two-run homer over the center field fence to put the Bison ahead, 2-0.
After the home run, Lion starter Stefan Olson was in command, allowing just one more run on three hits the rest of the way as he struck out nine in seven quality innings of work.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Nick Crucet reached on an error to start the inning. With two outs, Alexander Aurrichio belted his fourth home run of the year, over the wall in left center to tie the game at 2-2.
Olson retired six straight through the second and third innings but Bucknell regained the lead in the fourth. B.J. LaRosa led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. On the next pitch, Drew Constable hit one back through the middle to score LaRosa, giving the Bison a 3-2 edge. Olson allowed just one more hit the rest of his outing, keeping the Lions in the game.
Columbia tied it in the sixth. Nick Ferraresi and Dario Pizzano started the frame with consecutive singles and Alex Ferrera pushed the runners into scoring position with a sac bunt of his own. Dean Forthun then walked to load the bases with one out.
Billy Rumpke grounded one slowly to the right side and Bucknell got the out at second base but it was not hit hard enough for the Bison to turn two on the speedy Rumpke, allowing the Lions to tie the game at 3-3.
Olson's outing ended after seven innings and Geoff Whitaker came on to start the eighth. Ben Allen greeted Whitaker rudely with a well-struck double to center, but Whitaker was able to get three straight outs. He stranded Allen at third with two outs by getting Brouse on a mile-high infield popup as the game moved to the bottom of the eighth, still tied.
In the eighth, Andrew Clarke came on in relief of Bucknell starter Dylan Seeley. Clarke retired the Lions' leadoff man, but Pizzano put Columbia ahead with his second home run of the week, a drive over the center field fence, giving Columbia a 4-3 lead.
Ferrera and Forthun followed with back-to-back singles, chasing Clarke from the game. Matt Lamore, who started the game at designated hitter, retired Rumpke on a deep fly ball to right field, which allowed Ferrera to advance to third with two outs.
Rumpke's advancing flyout proved critical, as Lamore uncorked a wild pitch to the next batter, allowing Ferrera to score an insurance run, pushing the Columbia lead to 5-3.
Whitaker quickly retired the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, seeking his first win of the season. He then got to an 0-2 count on his counterpart Lamore, but the Bucknell hurler drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.
After the count was 0-2, David Duffett came back with a single to right center, putting the tying run on base for pinch-hitter Kevin Drozin.
Again, Whitaker got ahead 0-2, and the Arizona native ultimately got Drozin looking at a beautiful curveball to end the game and finish the doubleheader sweep.
Columbia and Bucknell will resume the four-game series tomorrow, Sunday, March 28, beginning at noon at Robertson Field.
NOTES:
- Columbia pitchers struck 20 batters in the doubleheader.
- Sophomore Jon Eisen got the start at third base for the first time in his career and made a pair of nice defensive plays at the hot corner.
- Eisen (2-for-2, two RBI) and Ferrera (2-for-3, RBI) had multiple-hit games in the opener, while Aurrichio (2-for-4, two RBI), Pizzano (2-for-4, RBI), Forthun (3-for-3) and Jason Banos (2-for-4) each had multi-hit games in the nightcap.
